Dacono approves home-rule watchdog

Dacono voters took care of a few civic house-keeping chores, passing three amendments to the city charter that plug gaps in Dacono’s governing structure.

By a vote of 157-104, voters passed a change in the charter that gives the city’s mayor pro-tem watchdog responsibilities over Dacono’s home-rule charter.

They also approved by a 175-86 vote a charter change that brings the city council in line with Colorado’s open meetings law by requiring closed sessions to be conducted in accordance with the law.

A third ballot question, requiring annual codification of city ordinances, passed by a 177-88 vote.

Voters also elected Wade Carlson as mayor and Mary Gavin as councilwoman.

Erie gains 616 acres, inches closer to I-25

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The town of Erie grew larger by 616 acres Tuesday, with approval by a 411-82 vote to annex a parcel known as the Erie Corporate Center, raising the town’s stake on the Interstate 25 corridor.

The mixed-use project will include hundreds of new homes as well as office space and cultural facilities.

The new addition, bounded by Interstate 25 and Weld County roads 7, 10 and 12, gives Erie a mile-long stretch of Interstate 25 frontage northeast of the town center.

Firestone axes food sales tax continuation

Firestone voters on Tuesday rejected an extension of a 2 percent sales tax on food items by a 448-216 vote.

Backers said the measure would have brought $750,000 to the city’s treasury during the first year.

Kept in a separate category in Firestone’s general fund, the tax would have been earmarked for parks, roads and other quality-of-life projects.

Fort Lupton decides against home rule

Fort Lupton will not join the legions of Colorado municipalities that have chosen home rule, voters decided Tuesday.

City voters also elected a mayor from a slate of four candidates.

David Norcross will serve a two-year term as mayor, having collected 281 votes. Running second was Ken Clark with 237 votes. The trailing candidates, Mary Feeney and Jimmy Dominguez, received 137 and 129 votes, respectively.

The vote on the home-rule question was not close, with 435 votes cast against the measure, 309 in favor.

Fort Lupton remains among 13 Colorado cities that have not yet chosen home rule, whereby a voter-approved charter gives cities and towns authority to regulate the way they are governed.

Sixty-one other Colorado cities, making up 87 percent of the state’s municipal population, have already opted for home rule.

Elected to four-year city council terms were Shannon Crespin in Ward 1, Fred Patterson in Ward 2 and Jim Bostick in Ward 3. Each was running unopposed for the open council seats.

Johnstown to let fire district keep revenue

Voters in Johnstown by a 3-to-1 margin approved a measure that allows their fire protection district to keep all the tax revenue collected from its current mill levy.

The vote was 1,030-376.

The measure, that does not increase property taxes, was necessary because of limits imposed by TABOR, the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, a state constitutional amendment that caps a special district’s share of the tax revenue it raises.